Microsoft May Be Hiring the Next-Gen Surface Team

Microsoft could be assembling a next-generation Surface team charged with mapping out several generations of products. Since June, the company’s been looking for mechanical engineers, component specialists, materials experts, driver developers and audio engineers, as well as manufacturing and packaging designers.

Microsoft’s Surface tablet is set to debut Oct. 24, alongside the Windows 8 operating system. While it’s not clear about that device will be a one-off design meant to highlight the new OS, it’s certainly got the company’s hardware partners stewing. Acer Chairman and Chief Executive J.T. Wang told the Financial Times:

We have said [to Microsoft] think it over. Think twice. It will create a huge negative impact for the ecosystem and other brands may take a negative reaction. It is not something you are good at so please think twice.

TechRadar says one Microsoft ad for a mechanical engineer suggests Redmond’s working on a successor to its the 80-inch Perceptive Pixel wall screen, which it wants to make less expensive. But one seeks an electrical engineer to work on “the electrical design and qualification of AC-DC power supplies and adapters,” which indicates mobile devices.